Passing On Habits to Our Children

I really hate when my son wakes up and immediately wants to jump on the computer. Also, it bothers me that my son doesn’t ask me to pray with him every night. And would you believe that he would rather read “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” than his Bible? Or how about his excessive sweet tooth? His ability to say the truth at the wrong time? Shall I continue? Or have I made myself look bad enough? My son didn’t just get my sense of humor and sweet face—I have also passed along these bad habits. Time is running out! He’s already ten. I only have a few years left to try and correct this damage.

Now, don’t go “unliking” me just yet. This same child has a compassion for strangers. He would rather sit out in the adult class to soak up as much preaching/teaching as possible than go to his fun Sunday school class. He loves Sunday school; he just loves the preaching of the Word more. He is kind and considerate. Obedient. Highly intelligent and creative. Sensitive. In all things, good and bad, he is a reflection of me.

I strive to be the best parent I can be. Some days. Other days, I strive to be left alone, locked in to whatever project I’m doing “for God’s glory.” Tsk, tsk, tsk. Shame on me!

I am a good parent. But I am flesh. There is always, always, always room for improvement.

You would expect a minister’s wife to read her Bible and pray every day. That is what I expect of other minister’s wives. We are at church so much and we have GREAT worship and FANTASTIC Bible study and MAGNIFICENT exploration of the Word that it is easy to convince myself that I don’t need to do my own private Bible and prayer time. But I know better!

For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. – Romans 7:15 KJV

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. – Romans 7:15 NIV

If the writer of Romans struggled with this, then I know there are others out there like him and me. Are you one of us?

I take pride in the fact that I’m a homeschooler. I enjoy having my family home, getting to do what we want, when we want, and how we want to do it. But I don’t think staying up until midnight (or later for me) and sleeping in until 10 (or later for all of us) is really doing the best by my homeschool. My children are ahead of the curve in education, but it’s their habits that are starting to worry me.

I want to teach responsibility, housekeeping, and stewardship along with Bible, math, science, and English. This year, we are implementing a sturdier routine for our daily grind. This routine will apply to ALL of us—not just him. (All of us means me and Gigi, who is 5.)